Homegrown WorldCat Reclamation: Utilizing OCLC’s WorldCat Metadata API to Reconcile Your Library’s Holdings

Abstract

OCLC’s WorldCat Metadata API now allows libraries to set and delete their OCLC holdings without using Connexion or Batch Services. St. Olaf College Libraries had used up our “one free turn” at a reclamation several years ago. Unfortunately due to the normal inconsistencies that accumulate over time, as well as problems with holdings being set for us by external entities, we had reached a point where we were once again in need of reconciling our holdings with OCLC's. This time we wanted to accomplish the reclamation in a low-cost way that would also allow us to have more local control over the process. Using the WorldCat Search API and Metadata API in tandem, we first retrieved all OCLC numbers with holdings currently set and deleted these holdings with a fairly simple Perl script. We then pulled from our local catalog all the OCLC numbers for which we wanted holdings set and updated again using the Metadata API. The result, in the words of one of our catalogers, is that “For the first time since I got here, 15 years ago, I feel our holdings finally reflect what we really own.” In this article, I will discuss the issues to consider if you wish to do a similar project with your OCLC holdings, share the Perl scripts I wrote for processing, and reflect on the pros and cons of the process overall.